STAR TREK 2009 1: Starminders
by Dan Bivens
Summary: The new ENTERPRISE and crew, after a time of meaningless missions, find themselves faced with a star system and society never before contacted by Starfleet and the Federation. Can Kirk and crew live up to their potential for greatness, or will they fail?
1. Chapter 1

-1CHAPTER ONE

_"Captain's log. Stardate: 2258.84. James T. Kirk reporting. _

_"Our little group had finally come to gel as a group during these past few weeks of active duty on board the still-new ENTERPRISE, inevitably becoming comrades and compeers, where once we were all barely amicable to one another. "Commander Spock, for instance, has come to be quite a close friend, as well as a fantastic first officer. _

_"Bones, or Dr. Leonard McCoy to everyone else but me, had come to actually thrive in a space-faring starship, when, in the beginning, he could scarcely contain himself when riding in an Earth-to-orbiting Space Station shuttlecraft for final assignment. The additional burden of being thrust into the role of Chief Medical Officer, rather than part of Medical Bay's senior staff, may have helped take away the frantic nature he once elicited as frazzled fear over something that not only flew, but flew in space. _

_"As to Lt. Nyota Uhura, the same person whom, as a cadet at the San Francisco-based Starfleet Command, had made it blatantly obvious that she bore more than a little ill will toward me. Can't say as I blamed her, I was a little bit of an bothersome womanizer, who found Uhura's stalwart resistance to my charms all the more reason to pursue her. How much different things became once I officially occupied the bridge's center seat as the ENTERPRISE'S captain._

_"Even Lt.-Commander Montgomery Scott, usually down in engineering, had taken to his duties on board the U.S.S. ENTERPRISE. Already proving, so soon in his put-upon position of Chief Engineer, that he had what it took to keep the all-important warp engines practically purring, since the events of 2258.42. _

_"Still, even with only a few weeks under our collective make-believe belts, we were all more than a little eager to take on our first very real, more than a little important to Starfleet and the Federation, mission. _

_"Then we would prove ourselves worthy of the Flagship of Starfleet Command. End of log."_

Captain James Tiberius Kirk slumped, slightly, in the centrally-located command chair of a bright-white, and amply lit, bridge.

For the past few weeks the ENTERPRISE, and her potentially peerless crew, had been bound over to less-than-exciting duties, ranging from ferrying Federation officials from one planet to another, to picking up and dropping off various supplies, medical and otherwise.

It was enough to cause the eyelids over Kirk's bright blue eyes to threaten to close, completely, as a bored-as-hell Captain might come to enter into an embarrassing snooze right there where he sat. Right elbow propped on his white, lightly twisting back and forth, command chair's right armrest. His right fist propping up one half of his strong chin and sturdy cheekbones.

All that was missing was some vociferous snoring, and his humiliation would clearly be complete.

Leave it to Dr. Leonard "Bones" McCoy to keep such from happening to his steadfast friend and commanding

officer.

"What's the matter, Jim?" quietly queried Dr. McCoy, after stifling an amused smirk so indicative of two close friends,

from their first days as cadets in Starfleet Command to their successful fracas against a futuristic Romulan vessel sent back in Time so as to, as an unconscious consequence, created a alternate reality for them all. "Tryin' to burn the candle at both ends, the way you used to do it at Starfleet Command?"

"Hm? Oh", a suddenly stiffened, and definitely alert, Captain Kirk almost snorted, as his blue eyes took in the sub-space streaks of toned-down starlight seemingly streaking past, in and of itself an illusion. "I, uh, was just resting my eyes."

"That little white lie didn't work when we were cadets in class", McCoy muttered just loud enough to lend itself to Kirk's ears alone, "and it damn sure ain't gonna cut it here. Why don't you pop on down to your quarters. If anything exciting happens...as likely as that is...I'll see to it Lt. Uhura places a call to ya."

After considering such for several slowly ticking seconds, Captain Kirk suddenly sat bolt upright in his center seat, his slightly bloodshot, now, blue eyes taking in the splendor of sub-space travel. Always in awe of the creation of an invisible warp bubble that, in essence, allowed a starship, like the ENTERPRISE, to travel at seeming faster-than-light velocities, Kirk's demeanor became one of command, rather than one of boredom.

"No need, Bones, I've just gotten my second wind", said the youngest Starfleet captain in the long and illustrious history of Starfleet and the Federation. Redirecting his attention to his helmsman, Kirk crisply asked, "What's our ETA to the next re-supply stop, Mr. Sulu?"

Lt. Hikaru Sulu was prompt in his reply, as he glanced down at his instrument board in order to provide as accurate a response as possible.

"On course, Captain, and we should reach the Drayian star system in precisely..."

"Captain", suddenly stated Lt. Uhura, causing all heads to turn in her beauteously ebony direction, even as she listens to the incoming message via the small and silvery piece of equipment so gently inserted into one ear. "I'm getting a transmission from Starfleet Command."

After allowing the slight stress in Uhura's liltingly lovely voice to command the moment, Captain Kirk assertively responded, "On screen, Lieutenant."

"Aye, Captain."

With a calm and confidently fluid motion of her hands over the touch-sensitive controls arrayed before her, Lt. Noyta Uhura easily and swiftly switched the incoming message, visual as well as vocal, to the substantially sizeable and thoroughly thick viewscreen window looking out into the rapidly passing splash of potential starlight consisting of the sub-space passage of a Warp Factor Four traveling vessel. "On screen now, sir."

Even as such took place in a matter of moments, Kirk shifted anxiously in his seat, whilst Dr. McCoy did so on his booted feet, as all eyes were on the image suddenly superimposed over the streaking sub-space beyond the astonishing thickness making up said viewscreen window.

Admiral James Komack's serious visage spoke as directly to one specific person on the bright-white bridge as was possible once one's up-close-and-personal image had manifested before all upon said bridge.

"Captain Kirk, I'm afraid your current course to the Drayian star system must be interrupted, and, instead, altered to a section of space just outside the boundaries of the Federation. A general distress sub-space signal has been picked up by the relay stations situated in Federation space, and translated by our speech-specific computers. Course correction and coordinates are already being relayed to your helm."

"Got it, Captain", quickly called Lt. Sulu from his permanent position upon the bridge. "Laid in and initiated now."

"We're on it, Admiral Komack", Kirk proudly proffered, as his seated position became one of scarcely contained excitement over having a true mission over one of simple re-supply. Something truly worthy of a Starfleet Flagship and her crew.

"I caution you, Captain", sternly said Admiral Komack, preceding the severing of sub-space communication to the U.S.S. ENTERPRISE. "You're about to warp into an mysterious situation. Treat it with as much straightforwardness as you would any mundane mission you have thus far carried out. We have a very real opportunity of forging another potential friend to the Federation and, should they join us, push our borders far further into unexplored space than currently realized. Admiral Komack out."

"In case you didn't catch that", said McCoy loud enough to be heard by everyone on the bridge, instead of just James Tiberius Kirk, as was usually the situation, "the Admiral is telling us not to screw this up."

After another few seconds of tension and stress settled upon the shoulders of everyone save Commander Spock, already extending sensor scans out to at least a single light-year before the streaking-through-sub-space starship, Kirk quietly contemplated for all to understand.

"Finally, something important to do. So let's do it right."


	2. Chapter 2

-1CHAPTER 2

_"Captain's log. Stardate: 2258.84. James T. Kirk reporting._

_"The ENTERPRISE is en route to an utterly unknown star system and its representative peoples. Nothing save the fact they are experiencing some sort of emergency that prompted their sending of a general distress sub-space signal out for someone, somewhere, to pick up._

_"Current ETA, at Warp Factor Four, is a little under an hour. At last, we will get the chance we have all so secretly longed for from the moment we succeeded in destroying a huge Romulan craft from the future, the NARADA, that had obliterated the planet Vulcan, and was about to do the same to planet Earth. _

_ "Here's hoping we live up to our greatest potential. End of log."_

Captain James Tiberius Kirk thumbed off the armrest control, through which such as he could record, vocally, any and all logs pursuant to a commanding officer's duties in direct regards to a current mission. Most especially when such a mission saw the crew of the U.S.S. ENTERPRISE hurdling headlong toward their next potential operation that might, just might, set them further down a road to a greatness heretofore unparalleled by any other starship in the fleet.

"Anything on forward sensor sweeps, Mr. Spock?" asked Kirk, as he swiveled around to cast a questioning gaze toward the pointy-eared Vulcan, one of the ten thousand or so survivors, out of billions, since the destruction of their planet and peoples.

After allowing his fingertips to dance diligently across the controls situated before him, as well as allowing his slanted eyebrow eyes to take in said sensor readings of the sub-space through which hurtled their starship, Spock said, in his logically cool manner, "Nothing as yet, Captain. Sensors are still simply showing space-normal readings out to approximately one light-year before the ENTERPRISE."

"Lt. Uhura", calmly requested Captain Kirk, as his gaze shifted from Commander Spock to the lovely Lieutenant seated a short distance away from Spock's station, and who was still listening to something via the silvery device inserted in one ear. "Are you still picking up the general distress signal?"

"Aye, Captain", she responded with almost as much emotionless calm as her not-so-secret, at least not to Captain Kirk, lover, Mr. Spock. "It's getting a bit stronger as we close on its spatial position. Whatever emergency exists for this unknown solar system, it's still very much in existence."

"Thank you, Lieutenant", Kirk commented coolly as he allowed his seat to swivel into a forwardly aimed posture once more. "Bones, is Medical Bay ready for incoming injured persons from the originators of this general distress signal?"

"As ready as it'll ever be, Jim", McCoy managed with as tense a scowl as ever evidenced upon the face of this slightly older friend, and Chief Medical Officer in charge of everything medical. Especially so for their arrival into an unknown set of circumstances such as awaited the arrival of the sub-space streaking ENTERPRISE at the coordinates continually situated upon the control console manned by Mr. Sulu. "I just hope their not so alien that my staff can't deal with them, other than simply applying tried-and-true trauma tactics to their surface injuries. Anything more than that..."

Lt.-Commander Leonard "Bones" McCoy let that last languish in the re-circulated air, since such said more than actual words springing forth from the Chief Medical Officer's Southern-fried lips.

After several anxiety-filled seconds of silence, Captain Kirk readily remarked, "I'm sure you and your staff will do the best you can, Bones."

"Yeah", heavily huffed McCoy, almost to himself. "The best we can do."

Now that everyone's attention had shifted back to their singular consoles and controls, with Kirk's attention containing his bridge officer's problems combined with his own commanding officer's responsibilities, his blue eyes were transfixed upon the very large and thick viewscreen window, the milky bursts of smeared starlight still indicative of traveling at warp speed…

"How's it looking?" asked a suddenly standing-beside-Spock Dr. McCoy, more meekly than the customary conversations twixt an all-too-human Chief Medical Officer and so stubbornly Vulcan First Officer.

Spock lifted one slanted brow as he turned from his screen scanning the space beyond sub-space during the ENTERPRISE'S seeming faster-than-light travel.

"How is what 'looking', Doctor?"

Though such a snooty response, as far as the good Doctor was concerned, raised the hairs on the back of his neck, along with a sharp rise in curmudgeonly indignation so readily alive within Dr. Leonard McCoy's human mindset, he still practically bit his tongue just to keep things civil twixt Vulcan and human.

"I was just trying to ease the tension a little, Spock. It wasn't an actual question, but more of a mild mannered opening for you to say, 'Everything's looking good, Doctor'. It wasn't meant to drag forth any argumentative statements from you."

"I see", said Spock with a barely noticeable expression of superiority that came so naturally to this individual Vulcan. "You were attempting to engage me in what I believe is called 'small talk'."

Heaving a sigh heavy with personal exasperation, McCoy folded his arms across his chest and turned to return to his previously standing position not far from Captain James T. Kirk, still seated in his singular command chair in the center of the bright-white, all-still-new bridge.

"Forget it, Spock. I'd get a better reaction from talking to your scanner screen than from a green-blooded hobgoblin like you."

Even as McCoy left Spock's side, the supposedly logical, not at all emotional, half-human/half-Vulcan managed a small smirk of bemusement over how easy it was to so swiftly defeat the Doctor's feeble efforts to engage him in meaningless communication.

It was just then that a burst of images and readouts drew Mr. Spock's total attention. Images and readouts directly related to the space sector to which the U.S.S. ENTERPRISE was heading at Warp Factor Four.

"Captain", he reported promptly, with a bit more emotionality to his tone than he would've wanted to evince, "long-range scanners are picking up details of the star system to which we are heading. It's not at all what we would typically expect."


	3. Chapter 3

-1CHAPTER 3

_"Captain's log. Supplemental. James T. Kirk reporting._

_"According to Commander Spock's sensor readings of the unknown star system to which we are heading, they are unlike any we have thus far heard about._

_"This race of beings, numbering about ten or twelve billion, again according to Mr. Spock's sensor readings, reaching out to nearly one light-year distance, do not live on an actual planet. Not anymore at least. They live within a spherical shell encircling a brown dwarf star, the natural end of a star roughly like Earth's own sun, at a distance of some twenty-five million kilometers, so as to absorb as much of the limited light and heat as possible._

_ "As to what has happened to cause them to send out a general distress signal, such has not yet been determined. But, whatever it is, I intend to take an Away Team over to assist in resolving it. And negotiate a treaty that will add this race, and their space sector, to the United Federation of Planets. _

_ "I sure hope we don't screw this up. End of log."_

"Anything yet, Uhura?" asked an anxious-for-action Captain Kirk of the sensual significant other in her not-so-logical relationship with Mr. Spock.

"Checking, Captain", she responded, as her expert eyes followed her equally expert fingers flying across the controls of her communications console. She, at last, shook her head and said, "Sorry, sir. All I keep picking up is the general distress signal."

"Keep trying, Lieutenant", Kirk quickly countered, as his attention, but not his gaze, next shifted to the youngest member of the bright-white bridge. "Ensign Chekov, keep shields and weapons on ready standby status. There's no need to spook this race by streaking in at them, at sub-warp speeds, with shields up and weapons hot."

"Aye, Keptin", was the Russian-accented response from the seventeen-year-old situated at the tactical station a short, straight distance away from Lt. Sulu's helm.

"Mr. Spock?" asked Kirk of his Vulcan First Officer seated at the science console to his rear, and a little to starboard. There was no need to ask any more than simply Spock's name in an interrogative tone. Spock knew what it was his Captain needed to know.

"Apparently", slowly replied the logical Commander, "the shell constructed about this brown dwarf star has been impacted by a comet, at some point, from deep space, thus fracturing said shell's hull facing out into the cold vacuum. The reason, therefore, there is a continual general distress, sent out in all spatial directions, is that they need help in repairing the damage, before losing their inner artificial atmosphere, and consequently cause a sudden destruction of all on the inside. Billions would die."

That last three-word comment caught Commander Spock unawares, as the all-too-fresh recollection of his own world, and its billions of inhabitants, being obliterated by the NARADA, rushed into his forethoughts. Luckily such lasted only a few scant seconds, before any emotional attachment attacked his usually stolid state of mind.

"Maintain sensor scans, Mr. Spock", commanded Captain James T. Kirk, even though such wasn't necessary. The science officer within the First Officer would continue said scans until contact could at last be established with the race of peoples subsisting on the inside of the spherical shell encircling a brown dwarf star.

As for Dr. Leonard "Bones" McCoy, he couldn't help but ponder upon what, exactly, those of this brown dwarf star civilization must be thinking, should their own outwardly-aimed sensor scans show the steady approach of a sub-space faring starship.

"Zoon Rhann", hurriedly reported an underling tasked with said sensor scans of the space beyond the spherical shell, to the female member heading up the two-person position of power for such an advanced civilization. "We have picked up the approach, through sub-space, of a sizeable vessel. They are mere minutes from dropping back into normal Space-Time a few hundred million kilometers outside."

"Return to your post", commanded Zoon Rhann of the underling, whose nervousness at such a situation was all-too-obvious. "Maintain tight sensor scans upon this sub-space traveling vessel."

"Yes, Exalted One", said the underling with a half-bow of honor toward Zoon Rhann. "As you ask, so shall it be done."

No sooner did this tasked-with-sensor sweeps person exit the sizeable bureaucratic room, than the co-head of this society, Ragah Zee, looked toward this slightly more superior personage, and promptly pondered, "They must be responding to our general distress signal, Zoon. Why else would they be speeding into our space at warp velocities? Surely not to take advantage of our current set of destructive circumstances."

"Perhaps, Ragah, perhaps", Zoon countered contemplatively. "But it would be remiss of us to assume such a ship would be coming to help resolve our problem, rather than exploit such as the probable frailty it, in fact, happens to be. I believe our exterior weapons systems should be activated. Just in case."


	4. Chapter 4

-1CHAPTER 4

_"Captain's log. Stardate: 2258.84. James T. Kirk reporting._

_"As Commander Spock's sensor sweeps, straight ahead of our sub-space speeding starship, detected similar sensor scans coming from the general distress signal space sector, I have ordered Lt.-Commander Scott, down in engineering, to boost our warp yield so as to add at least another half-Warp Factor to our proceeding speed of Warp Factor Four._

_ "I can imagine how stressed such a decision has made Mr. Scott, but I've deemed it compulsory that we reach our destination more swiftly than originally doable. _

_ "I just hope whomever the people are, picking the ENTERPRISE up on their own sensor sweeps of our general area, they will not perceive us as a potential problem to be stopped suddenly and destructively. End of log."_

"Mr. Scott", called out one of the numerous officers, from ensigns to lieutenants, in regards to the understandable strain placed upon the warp engines. "I'm not all that sure that these babies are gonna take the added stress to the nacelles."

Lt.-Commander Montgomery "Scotty" Scott was all-to-aware of just such a potential problem, not just with the nacelles, but with the dilithium chamber as well. His anxious pacing, from one side of the engineering room to another, stepping up in regularity. Not to mention Mr. Scott's tenser-than-usual expression.

"I hear ya, lad, but the Cap'n needs us to increase to Warp Factor Four-point-Five, and by God that's what I mean to give 'im. Accordin' to the instrumentation down here, we should only have to maintain that sub-space speed for another five or so minutes. Then we'll drop to space-normal speeds that'll only require a steady strut for the Impulse engines. The nacelles should hold out for that little bit o' time. I hope."

Straight up, basically, from the lower decks of the secondary hull to the top of the saucer section of the U.S.S. ENTERPRISE, Captain Kirk sat tensely on the edge of his command chair. Blue eyes still glued to the smeared starlight, as they continued through sub-space for what he'd hoped would be a far less length of time than the half-hour that would've been necessary at a speed of Warp Factor Four.

"Mr. Spock", James T. Kirk called back, without turning toward his First Officer's science station, "are we still being scanned by the 'space shell' ahead of us?"

Spock had already anticipated just such a question, as he double-checked his own sensor scanning console screen, "Yes, Captain. In point of fact, this civilization has stepped up their own sweeps by a factor of five. So far no weaponry has been activated."

"That doesn't mean they won't train weapons on us, Jim", interjected Dr. McCoy from the right side, Kirk's right, of the captain's seat.

"Let's hope they won't, Bones", Captain Kirk stated somewhat softly, so no amount of worry or doubt could be detected by the rest of those situated all about the bridge. "I'm not sure we could hold our own, since this society is clearly more advanced than our own."

"Are ya sure you should hold off activating our own shields and weapons?" asked, a little louder than that of a hushed aside, Dr. Leonard McCoy. "Better to be safe than sorry, was what my dear ol' grandma used to say."

Kirk looked in McCoy's direction, as both shared a silent instant of tension that exceeded what was already there when first being handed this potentially deadly mission by Admiral James Komack.

"Here's hoping your 'dear ol' grandma', and her instincts, are wrong about this one", Captain Kirk commented in a low tone, then added a bit more, after heaving a heavy, deep-seated sign. "We'll find out in about two or three minutes, Bones."

"Approaching sector, and leaving sub-space, in three…two…one…"

Even as Lt. Hikaru Sulu said such, in a tone loud enough to be understood by not only Captain Kirk, but every other officer seated or standing about the bridge making up about half of Deck One…

"Now."

With some deft fingering of the touch-sensitive console controls arranged before him, Mr. Sulu smoothly switched from the sub-space of Warp Factor to the sub-light in normal space of Impulse.

As the stars once more became unmoving points of light in distant space, the super-shell, built about a brown dwarf star, came into plain sight through the heavy with thickness, and large with overall width and height, viewscreen window.

"Mr. Sulu", steadily ordered Captain James Tiberius Kirk of his helmsman, "take us in at half-Impulse. Not too fast to frighten these people, but not so slow as to raise their suspicions. Either way might prove our downfall."

"Understood, Captain", Lt. Sulu said with a single nod of his head, even as his hands and fingers tapped the necessary touch-sensitive controls. "Maintaining half-Impulse. ETA: less than five minutes."

Half-swiveling toward Commander Spock's station, Kirk was quick to inquire, "Mr. Spock, what do sensors say now."

Looking over a variety of instrument readouts, as his hands tap-typed upon the touch-sensitive console controls at the Vulcan's command, Spock stated stoically, "I read a number of weapons, situated along the outer hull of this hollow sphere, that are on standby status, such as our own weapons. I can also read the damage, from a rogue comet, along one outward-facing edge. I estimate only a few hours before the crack widens significantly enough to release atmosphere and pressure too rapidly to correct. Our assistance would appear to be significantly severe. At this point, our beam-over, in order to confer with whomever is in charge, regarding their dire set of circumstances, as well as any help our engineering team might be able to offer, could very well have to come more immediate than our present pace."

Mulling Mr. Spock's input over very carefully, Captain Kirk swiveled forward again, and ordered, "Mr. Sulu, increase sub-light speed to full Impulse. Like it or not, we can ill afford to waste time, if we plan upon helping these people."

"Aye, Captain", came Sulu's swift answer, as his control-touching fingertips tap-typed the required increase to space-normal speed. "Full Impulse engaged."

"I want the following people to head to the main transporter room", commanded Kirk as he stood tall-and-straight before his captain's seat. "Mr. Spock and Dr. McCoy. Lt. Uhura, call down to engineering and have Mr. Scott meet us for immediate transport to the inside surface of this 'star shell'."

McCoy scowled as he cast curious eyes toward Kirk's, prompting the commanding officer to quickly remark, "Bones, I'll need you over there in case their artificial atmosphere poses any problem for our Away Team. Plus their own physicians might need some input from you as to how to help their citizens, especially those near the outer surface crack. Let's go. Lt. Sulu, you have the Conn."

While both Captain Kirk and Commander Spock swiftly strode, with purpose, toward the double set of doors leading from bridge to the remainder of Deck One, Dr. McCoy almost literally drug his proverbial heels in hesitation for having to use the transporter at all. Just one more of his pet peeves.

Bordering on his phobia concerning fearing death in something that flies. This one dealing with having one's atoms scrambled and beamed across the span of space separating starship from star shell.

"Dammit."


	5. Chapter 5

-1CHAPTER 4

_"Captain's log. Supplemental. James T. Kirk reporting._

_"Walking with purpose, not seen since the vile events concerning the NARADA, which came damn close to destroying planet Earth, Commander Spock and Dr. Leonard McCoy joined me in the main transporter room. I wasn't exactly surprised to see that Chief Engineer Montgomery Scott was already anxiously awaiting our arrival._

_ Too bad he didn't look like he was all that happy with being there. End of log."_

"Mr. Scott", Kirk half-quipped in hopes of easily lightening the pre-transport temperament, especially so with Montgomery "Scotty" Scott. "Glad to see you caught the first turbolift up from engineering. I thought you might be a little reticent about all this."

"As apprehensive as I was, Cap'n, no way would I ignore an order from you, sir", said Scotty earnestly, as he glanced at Spock and McCoy, before returning his gaze to someone much younger, yet still very much in complete command on board the ENTERPRISE. "Beggin' yer pardon, sir, but I'm not exactly filled with confidence in regards to precisely how we'll be perceived over there."

"Understood, Scotty", Captain James T. Kirk continued, even as he, then Spock, then, though with less decisiveness as Kirk and Spock, McCoy took their places upon the teleporter platform. "But we really have no choice. This alien race is facing certain death and destruction…unless you, with Mr. Spock's assistance, using a scientific tricorder draped over one shoulder to make your task at least possible to do. And, hopefully, quite quickly."

"Ya got me, Cap'n", muttered, under his breath, Lt.-Commander Scott as he took his own posture upon the transporter platform. His stance that of someone having to face the very real probability that, to a certain percent, their arrival on the inner edge of the ultra-tech star shell will not necessarily be perceived as sociable. "Let's pray these buggers gi' us the chance to explain our plans to help 'em."

"Energize."

No sooner ordered by a stiffly standing, right hand lingering near the holstered phaser pistol hanging from the Away Team belt, along with a communicator, Captain Kirk, Mr. Spock, Dr. McCoy, and Scotty would…

REEEEEE-RIIIIIINNNNG!

The foursome were swaddled in swirling bright-white energies that promptly broke down the atomic and molecular structures of the group. Basically disappearing, along with said swirl of energized atoms, to no longer still be standing on the transporter platform.

RIIIIIINNNNNG-REEEEEE!

That self-same swirl of atomic and molecular structures solidified, with a final flash, in what had already been pinpointed, by Spock's bridge sensors, to be the interior of whomever was in charge of a star shell surrounding a brown dwarf star.

Reaching down, first, to the belt-situated communicator, Kirk would do what the other three would follow suit: activating the universal translator circuitry, so as to be able to hold an in-depth conversation with the two whom were clearly in charge of a planet the Away Team would, quite quickly, come to learn was called Kaa Raal.

"Don't be alarmed", Kirk was quick to state, with a hint of a soothing smile, to the two humanoids standing about five meters away. "I am Captain James T. Kirk, commanding officer of the starship sitting in space some thousand or so kilometers outside this curious star shell you've constructed."

After getting over the physical differences separating the four uniformed, one tan, two blue, and one red, from Zoon Rhann and Ragah Zee, which presented themselves in a few bumpy ridges over their smallish, somewhat angular noses. Not to mention stylishly bushy brows blending into the hair at the sides of their heads.

Finally, Zoon speaks…

"I am Zoon Rhann", she cheerfully offered, along with a hand of friendship, "Senior Director of this society. "This is my Sub-Director, and mate, Ragah Zee."

"Pleased to make your acquaintance, uh, Captain Kirk. And these others?"

After rapidly introducing Dr. Leonard McCoy, Lt.-Commander Montgomery Scott, and Commander Spock, with a brief, very brief, clarification as to why they were chosen by him to beam over from the U.S.S. ENTERPRISE…

"If you two will follow me", Ragah stated succinctly-yet-politely in regards to Spock and Scotty, "I'll get you as close as safely possible to the damage threatening to destroy us. I'm afraid our own engineers have grown quite lapse in keeping up with repair procedures, since it was believed the outer layers of this star shell, in which we, whom have come to call ourselves Starminders, have lived for a dozen generations, was indestructible. Do you have a device for scanning…?"

"Affirmative", emotionlessly came Mr. Spock's ready reply that carried within its logic what could be perceived as slightly insulting. "This tricorder will give a highly detailed set of data regarding the comet-caused crack. Making it much more likely for Mr. Scott to evaluate exactly what he needs, in terms of equipment and resealing substances from our starship."

"Uh", answered Ragah Zee, not wishing to sound at all ignorant of such things, although there was nothing in his multi-generational background that encompassed anything at all resembling scientific or engineering knowledge. "Sounds…like just what we need to avert potential disaster."

Leaving Captain Kirk and Dr. McCoy to charm the female Senior Director, Zoon Rhann, in the time remaining to the Away Team. But when it came to charming females, such was always the purview of James Tiberius Kirk.

All McCoy could do is watch, listen, and roll his eyes in sickened exasperation.


	6. Chapter 6

-1CHAPTER 6

"This is as close as we can get", reported Ragah Zee, via open communicator-as-translator devices affixed to the same belts in which phaser pistols were holstered, and worn by both Commander Spock and Lt.-Commander Scott. "Much closer and there's a very real danger of losing consciousness, because of a sudden loss in re-circulated artificial air and carefully controlled pressurization. But you can see it through this section of the 'ground'."

"Yes", said Spock with a slight lifting of one slanted brow, as he began scanning sweeps with his small-but-powerful tricorder, whose strap was still positioned over a single shoulder. "According to this, continued loss of substantial structural consistency suggests total deterioration will take place within a few hundred more hours from now. It is most fortuitous that your general distress signal was picked up by deep-space communication relays belonging to Starfleet and the Federation."

"Do ya think we can use materials contained within the ENTERPRISE to fix all o' that, Mr. Spock?"

Without looking at the man casually called Scotty, largely due to his slanted-brow eyes still studying the data readings upon the smallish screen of an equally smallish tricorder, Spock logically commented , "Yes, Mr. Scott. But we will have to rely on some unorthodox methodology in order to fill the comet-created crack, so as to so strengthen this section of the outward facing external surface of this star-shell so no danger of destruction of said shell shall remain."

"Then we should jump right on it, then, eh, Mr. Spock?"

"Yes, Mr. Scott, we should."

Without another word, or any semblance of politeness, due to his completely logical training and all-too-rational nature, Spock led the other two, consisting of Lt.-Commander Montgomery Scott and Ragah Zee, back in the general direction of the big building in which Ragah's mate, and co-head of the open-to-all administration making up the Starminder's race.

Where, at that self-same moment…

"I still say, Zoon, you are one of the most beautiful bureaucrats I've ever had the pleasure of meeting", Captain Kirk was saying in his most disarming, and charming, manner. A smile spread across his handsome, even to humanoids such as this Kaa Raalian woman. One who was responding with a similar smile, as if to prove, especially to Dr. Leonard "Bones" McCoy, unhappy party to this sickening display of sensual byplay, that such as James Tiberius Kirk was able to titillate someone whose male mate was Sub-Director of an entire species colloquially called Starminders.

"And I must say, Captain Kirk, that you are truly handsome, even though you are alien to such as us", said a blushing Zoon Rhann.

"Oh, brother", muttered, to himself, Dr. McCoy, whilst also rolling his eyes in vivid vexation over what he was witnessing, regarding a recurring case of womanizing he'd first came to see in Kirk three years earlier, whilst both were mere cadets at Starfleet Command.

But before anything amoral reared its ugly head, Spock, Scotty, and Ragah Zee, Zoon Rhann's mate and Sub-Director of the Starminders race, returned from their trip to the general location of potential destruction for their stellar home, and probable death to their burgeoning billions.

Blushing slightly, as well as stepping back from a steadily advancing Captain Kirk, as she was subconsciously caught up in his womanizing ways…

"Ah, I trust, Ragah, the trip to the site of our star shell's damage proved eventful?"

"It did, indeed, Zoon", replied Ragah Zee with more than a little relief to his tone and calmer-than-before pace. "Commander Spock and Chief Engineer Scott have already discussed and formulated a plan for correcting the comet's damage. We're saved."

Once again acting like the Captain, rather than a slightly lustful personage using his charm to potentially pull Zoon Rhann into his personal singularity of desire, Kirk called, "Do you have all the data we need, Mr. Spock?"

"Affirmative, Captain", came Mr. Spock's emotionless reply. "I estimate the damage can be reversed in approximately twenty-five minutes. Once we beam back to the ENTERPRISE, of course."

"Well", heaved Captain James T. Kirk, just as Spock, Scotty, and McCoy positioned themselves around their commanding officer, "then we'll beam over right away. Zoon Rhann…Ragah Zee…"

After a half-bow from the handsome commanding officer, he pulled his communicator from his belt, flipped it open with a crisp chirp, and readily ordered, "Kirk to ENTERPRISE. Energize."

Amidst a swirl, once again, of atoms and molecules, the four were once again back on the platform of the main transporter room. Whereas Spock and Scotty hurried out in order to put their intended stratagem into the appropriate action.

Leaving Captain Kirk and Dr. McCoy to walk along the corridor leading back to the bridge, making up one-half of Deck One.

Noticing the good Doctor eyeing him disapprovingly, Kirk curtly commented, "I know, I know, Bones. I let my testosterone do the talking, and almost made a humanoid woman give in to base desires."

"You could put it that way, Jim. A few more minutes, and I would've had to inject both of you with something to take the proverbial edge off both of you."

"Thank God for that", James T. Kirk quipped. "I've had the misfortune of being on the business ends of your injections."

"Ha, and ha, Jim", sarcastically said Dr. McCoy, as both passed through the double sets of doors in order to return to the bright-white bridge beyond.

_"Captain's log. Stardate: 2258.85. James T. Kirk reporting._

_ "After implementing the combination of materials, applied via the usage of a steady supply of energies from the ENTERPRISE'S deflector dish, situated at the forward end of the secondary hull, wherein engineering was located, the crack was permanently sealed in such a fashion as to become much stronger than the rest of the star shell. _

_ "It was also decided, after further discussion via starship-to-star shell channel, that the Kaa Raalian weaponry be re-tasked so as to provide permanent protection from any other incoming comets or asteroids. Thus insuring that no other such destructive accidents from the surrounding cosmos shall come to be._

_ "As to the U.S.S. ENTERPRISE, we have begun our Warp Factor Four return to Federation space with a tentative agreement in hand between the Kaa Raalians and the United Federation of Planets so as to add them, and their space, to our growing group of space sectors._

_ "On a personal note: I leave Kaa Raal with the knowledge that, just maybe, my personality and sensuality actually helped cinch the deal. End of log."_

THE END


End file.
